CRIME & SAFETY

BESSEMER, Ala. (WIAT) — A 70-year-old woman injured in a car crash last week died from her injuries over the weekend. According to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, Linda Hamner Maloy was involved in a head-on collision on Wednesday while driving on Pocahontas Road. Maloy was taken to UAB Hospital for treatment where she died […]

A Birmingham mother is recovering after she was shot four times on Saturday. Amber Scott’s 15-year-old daughter was in the vehicle with her when the shooting happened, but the teen was not injured. Scott, 33, had gone to check on a family member who was in a possible domestic...

A 33-year-old man pleaded guilty today to the murder of his co-worker at the Elyton Meat Market earlier this year. Christopher Kendricks entered a blind plea to intentional murder Monday morning before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Kandice Pickett. A blind plea means the length of a prison sentence was not part of the agreement and Kendricks does not yet know what that sentence will be.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Birmingham Police Department is currently on the scene of a homicide investigation Monday evening. According to Truman Fitzgerald with BPD, officers received shots fired calls just after 4 p.m. in the 500 block of Closhire Lane in the Pratt neighborhood. First responders arrived and discovered an adult male who was shot and […]

FULTONDALE, Ala. — Police are investigating the shooting death of a Birmingham man over the weekend. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victim as 30-year-old Alexander Rombley-Fernandez. The shooting happened at 4:42 a.m. on Sunday at a Fultondale mobile home community in the 2700 block of Stonefield Drive.

Family and friends gathered Sunday in Birmingham’s Railroad Park in honor of a 52-year-old father and grandfather who vanished two months ago today. Donald Cash was last seen Sept. 26. Human remains found in a makeshift grave in his son’s backyard are believed to be those of Cash, but...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - A 72-year-old man was killed on Interstate 59/20 South at the Interstate 65 South exit Nov. 25. James Edward Laffitte died at UAB Hospital, according to the Jefferson County Coroner. Authorities say he was the only person in a Buick Lesabre that was hit in the...

HOOVER, Ala. (WBRC) - The Hoover Police Department is preparing and planning ahead in order to keep the community safe ahead of a busy shopping season. According to officials with the Hoover PD, the department has been planning for the influx of holiday shoppers for a few months now. Captain Keith Czeskleba with the HPD says the department is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach by adding additional officers at shopping centers in order to help the community safe during the holidays.

CrimeGrade.org, a website that has crime maps and information for different parts of the US, says that these are the five most dangerous neighborhoods in Jefferson County, Alabama:. Fairfield:. This city has a high crime rate in western Jefferson County. There are 202.27 crimes per 1,000 people living there, which...

Two incidents occurred in Bessemer, Alabama this week. In the first incident, a mother claims her son, an inmate at a local prison, was stabbed and beaten without her knowledge. The second incident involves a man from Bessemer who was sentenced to federal prison for drug and gun charges, including possession of marijuana, heroin, fentanyl, and a machine gun.

Shane Ware, currently a captain with the Vestavia Hills police department, on Monday was named the department’s new chief. City Manager Jeff Downes appointed Ware, effective immediately, following the unexpected death of Chief Danny P. Rary on Aug. 1. Ware began his career as a police officer in Bessemer...

Tarrant, Alabama experienced two incidents this week that raised concerns for public safety. In the first incident, a 2-year-old girl was found dead with fentanyl in her system, leading to the mother being charged. The second incident involved the return of the embattled police chief, Wendell Major, after the city council overruled his suspension by the mayor. The council meeting became heated as accusations were made against the mayor for creating a conspiracy against the police chief.

GRAYSVILLE, Ala. — Police are investigating a shooting death of a Birmingham man in Graysville Sunday night. It happened shortly before 6:30 p.m. on Highway 78 at North Main Street, according to police. Dimetri Leon Phillips, 30, was shot and killed, according to the Jefferson County Coroner. Graysville Police...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Birmingham Police Department launched the "Connect Birmingham" initiative this month as a way to better incorporate the use of technology into combatting crime. Having a camera mounted near your front door or somewhere on your home isn't a new concept, but giving Birmingham police access...

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — A 17-year-old was killed in a single-vehicle that occurred early Saturday morning. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the 17-year-old was fatally injured when the ATV the youth was operating left the roadway, struck an embankment and overturned around 1:20 a.m. The youth was not wearing a seat belt […]

The incidents in Birmingham, Alabama this week include a man found dead on a street after multiple rounds were fired, a family seeking justice 20 years after a man was killed by a stray bullet, and the police asking for help in solving the killings of two brothers.

PELHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — Crews responded to a fire in Pelham Sunday morning in the Chandalar Court Community. A neighbor called 911 just before 7:30 a.m. to report a fire had started in a townhome. The fire had spread through the attic to the townhome next door. In that...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Birmingham firefighters were on the scene of a fire at an apartment building Saturday morning in the city's Ensley Highlands area. The fire started before 8:30 a.m. in the two-story building at 2100 30th Place. Crews were able to contain the fire in less than an...

TARRANT, Ala. — Tarrant investigators expressed their frustration with the handling of arecent lawsuit by Tarrant’s mayor against Chief of Police Wendell Major on Friday. An email from Tarrant Officer Chante Crosby was received by WVTM 13 on Saturday, and it accuses the police chief of giving false information to the media from a case in the death of 2-year-old Ariyah Crawford.

As I’m wrapping up everything for this month’s issue, I have completed six of my eight classes in the Shelby County Citizens Sheriff’s Academy. Here’s what we did during October. CLASS 4: CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION. This class covered topics that were tough to hear, including violent...